20 replies to this topic

[SYUTEO]

Although I am in an antkeeping hiatus throughout most of this year, I do still actively find ants and one thing I have noticed is that nuptial flights have become very rare at least in my country. The usual places where I would commonly find queens now have almost no queens at all, only males are ever sighted and not many of them either.

 

I was wondering if any of you have been experiencing this same thing this year.

 

 Although they have much more difficult to find, I was lucky enough to encounter a Camponotus irritans queen last month and right now she has pupae! I am considering returning to antkeeping again recently and hopefully this queen will properly make that happen.

[Ants_Dakota]

I am also noticing a similar trend to you, only on the opposite side of the world. You can read the background sections of my Lasius journal here to hear my laments as well.

[1tsm3jack]

There aren't many nuptials happening over here on the east coast because of lower then average temperatures right now, and then its winter so will have to wait until march or so to see nuptials again probably

[Ljimmy009]

Although I am in an antkeeping hiatus throughout most of this year, I do still actively find ants and one thing I have noticed is that nuptial flights have become very rare at least in my country. The usual places where I would commonly find queens now have almost no queens at all, only males are ever sighted and not many of them either.

 

I was wondering if any of you have been experiencing this same thing this year.

 

 Although they have much more difficult to find, I was lucky enough to encounter a Camponotus irritans queen last month and right now she has pupae! I am considering returning to antkeeping again recently and hopefully this queen will properly make that happen.

I think it's just that nuptial flights in one specific area will always change depending on the population ofcolonies and temperature. I didn't catch as much Pogonomyrmex as I did in Lancaster compared to last year where I caught more than 10. 

[ANTdrew]

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

[1tsm3jack]

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

We have brachyponera chinensis in Virginia? 

[AntsGodzilla]

I also haven't seen any nuptial flights since early August.

[ANTdrew]

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

We have brachyponera chinensis in Virginia?

Yes, unfortunately.

[bmb1bee]

I also haven't seen any nuptial flights since early August.

Likely just because you haven't been looking in the right spots. Here in NorCal, Camponotus, Stenamma, Aphaenogaster, and Crematogaster are having their flights and will likely continue doing so for the next few heat waves remaining this season. We also have Pogonomyrmex subdentatus, Camponotus yogi, and Hypoponera spp. flying soon.

[1tsm3jack]

 

 

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

We have brachyponera chinensis in Virginia?

Yes, unfortunately.

 

Oh shoot. Not gonna lie it would be kinda cool to keep them though, not so cool that they are invasive. You think I could find them here in charlottesville?

[SYUTEO]

 

Although I am in an antkeeping hiatus throughout most of this year, I do still actively find ants and one thing I have noticed is that nuptial flights have become very rare at least in my country. The usual places where I would commonly find queens now have almost no queens at all, only males are ever sighted and not many of them either.

 

I was wondering if any of you have been experiencing this same thing this year.

 

 Although they have much more difficult to find, I was lucky enough to encounter a Camponotus irritans queen last month and right now she has pupae! I am considering returning to antkeeping again recently and hopefully this queen will properly make that happen.

I think it's just that nuptial flights in one specific area will always change depending on the population ofcolonies and temperature. I didn't catch as much Pogonomyrmex as I did in Lancaster compared to last year where I caught more than 10. 

 

I see, actually now that I think of it, there does seem to be an increase in Anoplolepis gracillipes populations around my area although antmaps.org lists A. gracilipes as native to Malaysia. The temperature recently has increased so I think that has something to do with it too.

[ANTdrew]

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

We have brachyponera chinensis in Virginia?

Yes, unfortunately.

Oh shoot. Not gonna lie it would be kinda cool to keep them though, not so cool that they are invasive. You think I could find them here in charlottesville?

They are abundant here in Alexandria and well established in North Carolina, so yes you could. They are difficult to keep in captivity.

[1tsm3jack]

 

 

 

 

Overall numbers weren’t that different in my area than usual. Some species are being affected by the Brachyponera chinensis onslaught, though.

We have brachyponera chinensis in Virginia?

Yes, unfortunately.

Oh shoot. Not gonna lie it would be kinda cool to keep them though, not so cool that they are invasive. You think I could find them here in charlottesville?

They are abundant here in Alexandria and well established in North Carolina, so yes you could. They are difficult to keep in captivity.

 

I've never seen them around here which is suprising if they're that established, considering the amount of time I spend walking trails through the woods looking at ants.

[cooIboyJ]

Just around three or four days ago there was a huge Brachymyrmex patagonicus flight, and I also found one of what I think is Pheidole but I will post an ID thread soon. There were also about four of what I think were formica and I found five Solenopsis invicta queens, along with what I think is Pogonomyrmex, as this queen has slightly different coloration as compared to the Solenopsis invicta queens and different head shape, mandible placement, mandible shape, antennae length, leg length, its gaster is a light gray, as the Solenopsis invicta gaster's are a dark black, and its thorax is also lighter than Solenopsis invicta queens, and what makes me think it is Pogonomyrmex is that it cannot get a grip on the plastic test tube, unlike the Solenopsis invicta queens. I will try to post an ID on all of these queens except for the ones that I know the species of lmao. I am NOT trying to ID my queen here, I am just talking about what I have found.

Edited by cooIboyJ, September 26 2024 - 6:43 AM.

[1tsm3jack]

Just around three or four days ago there was a huge Brachymyrmex patagonicus flight, and I also found one of what I think is Pheidole but I will post an ID thread soon. There were also about four of what I think were formica and I found five Solenopsis invicta queens, along with what I think is Pogonomyrmex, as this queen has slightly different coloration as compared to the Solenopsis invicta queens and different head shape, mandible placement, mandible shape, antennae length, leg length, its gaster is a light gray, as the Solenopsis invicta gaster's are a dark black, and its thorax is also lighter than Solenopsis invicta queens, and what makes me think it is Pogonomyrmex is that it cannot get a grip on the plastic test tube, unlike the Solenopsis invicta queens. I will try to post an ID on all of these queens except for the ones that I know the species of lmao. I am NOT trying to ID my queen here, I am just talking about what I have found.

Nice, ill be interested to see it.

[AntsGodzilla]

 

I also haven't seen any nuptial flights since early August.

Likely just because you haven't been looking in the right spots. Here in NorCal, Camponotus, Stenamma, Aphaenogaster, and Crematogaster are having their flights and will likely continue doing so for the next few heat waves remaining this season. We also have Pogonomyrmex subdentatus, Camponotus yogi, and Hypoponera spp. flying soon.

 

 

 

I also haven't seen any nuptial flights since early August.

Likely just because you haven't been looking in the right spots. Here in NorCal, Camponotus, Stenamma, Aphaenogaster, and Crematogaster are having their flights and will likely continue doing so for the next few heat waves remaining this season. We also have Pogonomyrmex subdentatus, Camponotus yogi, and Hypoponera spp. flying soon.

 

Really? I have like 20 acres of forest behind my house, and I haven't seen anything. But I'll keep my eyes out for the species that you listed 

[Evolver54]

What is the expected time for brachymyrmex to stop flying? I have been looking for a queen to add to my existing test tube but no luck.

[mbullock42086]

Definitely didn't have less flights this summer here in AZ- our monsoon was intense this year.  

  Caught like 18 different ant species from my front yard

[1tsm3jack]

Definitely didn't have less flights this summer here in AZ- our monsoon was intense this year.  

  Caught like 18 different ant species from my front yard

Yeah the midwest seemed to be good. When i was out in Utah over the summer I saw multiple pogonomyrmex flights in the same day all around moab. Also saw a couple other species like pheidole having flights.

[2003LN6]

I live in SoCal and only found Forelius, Dorymyrmex, and Liometopum in Black Star Canyon, having been there twice in September evenings. According to iNaturalist, antmaps.org, and dspdrew's "Southern California Ants", there is much higher diversity there, including species like Camponotus us-ca02, Prenolepis imparis, Formica moki, and Tapinoma sessile. Most observations there were pretty recent, too. Was I missing something or were there just no ants there?